alright, more car shit, I need support and advice here

So I took my car to Lubexpres today, for an oil-change. When the guy opened the hood.. I knew he was gonna come up to me and tell me about all sorts of horrible shit going on with my fucking car I seriously hate. So he comes up.. and he goes: "mam, when was the last time you changed your oil?" and I'm like: "uhhhh... I dunno... never... I mean, I have had that car for a year and I've never changed it..." and he starts explaining how shitty the whole thing looks and I need to get it flushed etc.

THEN, he tells me I need to fix my transmission, my fucking gas filter cause it's leaking, and replace the whole cooling fluid system or something like that... 250 bucks... I'm like: "uhhhh... do I really have to take care of that?? I mean what's gonna happen if I don't?? - car's gonna breake - ohhhh... and how long do I have??" ANYWAYS I basically had to go and take out all this money I so wish I could keep for other things... but no... tomorrow at 8, I'm getting all the shit done.

Do you think I just got ripped-off? Is this stuff really serious?

Also... I am taking my car to inspection on Monday. Now I need people from NJ to reply... or people who've lived in NJ... I was supposed to inspect like a year ago. I've beeb driving around with a rejected sticker for a year (well not counting the time was car was just sitting for months while I was in Europe) and apparently... the fact that I didn't re-inspect by March 07 means that my registration may have been cancelled... but... how do you find out about that? I mean my car's registered, insured, everything. Just not inspected, and I should have re-inspected after I failed by March 07 and I didn't and been driving around like that. What do you think is gonna happen on Monday? What are they gonna say? Are they gonna cancel my registration? Assuming I pass, that is... do you think I'm gonna pass? All the lights/blinkers and shit work, the wheels seem aligned, I have no check engine light turning on... and smoke is coming out pretty normal colored...

I'm freaking out. Help.

 

well at least the positive outcome of all this is that I didn't have to get my car washed today, the pouring rain took care of it!

 

Taking your car into the shop is like dropping the soap in jail.

 

what do you mean?

 

I hate they way these sleazeballs take advantage of women. Yea, they're ripping you off, but of course they could chock most of it up to labor, because they know you won't flush the coolant, change the oli, and the gas filter. Though it all could be done with two wrenches and a screwdriver for 25 bucks.

The thing about your tranny being fucked up is total bullshit, since that would be in the thousands of dollars if true. They only thing that may cause you to fail inspection is a leaky fuel filter, and you could easily fix that. Really.

 

i meant that unless you know as much as the mechanic and question their judgemet, your going to get screwed. I know a couple mechanics and most of their earnings come from bogus "repairs"

 

yeah the fuel filter is leaky.. actually. and the exact thing with the transmission is *looks at the sheet of paper* "transmission filter service" - 90 dollars. The guy said that was the most urgent thing.

 

ohh.. yeah well I know all that.. but I'm really paranoid about failing inspection or worse my car breaking..

 

Sounds like the "bend over and take it in the ass service." lol. Is it an automatic or standard transmission. They both have filters and may indeed need to be changed but I wouldn't let those douchebags do it, since it has not a damn thing to do with your car's road worthiness. Unless of course the transmission is failing, which I seriously doubt. I'd forgo that "service" and get a second quote from a transmission shop.

 

It's just Lubexpress.. lol like a chain.. I think.. and they do everything real fast..

I will do what you advice. I don't know what transmission type I have.. automatic, I think? I'm horrible with cars. Know nothing about them.

Anyways.. do you think that they're gonna give me shit at the inspection station for driving around with a rejected sticker for a year and not re-inspecting by March 07? What's the worst that could happen? (I need to prepare myself)

 

I think they'll impound your car if its been rejected for over a year.

 

what does that mean?

 

Try a short skirt and bat your eyes a lot and maybe they'll overlook the expired sticker. I'd try that myself but I don't like to shave my legs.

 

^ ha i was going to say something like that.

 

Seriously weren't you out of the country? Just tell they how fuck you were supposed to renew it from France.

but use the french word for fuck, whatever that is.

 

alright.. I'll try that.. I mean it's true anyway.

I just don't want my registration cancelled.. it's 200 bucks to re-instate it

UGH I wish my parents were here to take care of all that shit for me.

 

my advice would be to call around and find a shop that will do an estimate for free.. Other then that try to have friend look at it.. if that doesn't work get a scooter smoke a joint and buy a helmet

 

aww I miss my scooter days.. when I was 14-16, in Europe.. those were the days.

I'm really traumatized though, had so many accidents on motorcycles.

 

I think I'm gonna go on Yahoo! Answers to find out what's the worst that could happen at inspection because of that sticker being expired.

I think what scares me is that my registration has actually been cancelled without me knowing, and getting pulled-over, and arrested.. or.. what would happen for driving without registration? And what can they say/do at inspection if they find out my registration has been cancelled?

I am having major anxiety.

 

Definitely change the oil, gas filter and do the air filter and that's it.
Don't go for an engine flush yet.
Go to a supermarket and buy a gallon of anti-freeze pour what you can in the radiator when the car is cold. Should be fine.

The Tranny can hold till after inspection.

Should you fail inspection, the car will need more repair anyway so might as well get it inspected then re-assess the situation.

Some tips on passing NJ inspection.

1. Make sure that the car's ash tray is clean. they will get in to test brakes & blinkers. not even cigartettes please. be straight.

2. Make the car clean. windows too.

3. Have the license, registration & insurance ready. People are late al l l l the time so Don't sweat it, Say as little as possible, dress conservatively. smile!

4. put some STP Carbuerator Cleaner or Gum Out Cleaner in the gas tank. Its in any supermarket.

5. pop out the air filter if you can.

6. do a lot of driving just before inspection to let the STP work a hot engine burns cleaner for polution.

7. If the shop puts in too much oil it will burn and smoke. you can drive the smoke away.

8. to tighten up the brakes, back up slowly and hit the brakes a few times
the things are designed to tighten with this process. You can put in brake fluid, again, the supermarket.

9. there is an inspection station in Paramus, by the Mall next to The Parkway & route 17.

Good Luck !